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Engineering Technology

Environmental Scan NTU has a four-year industrial engineering and advance manufacturing program but needs a preparatory program that provides students with a solid foundation to enter and succeed in the four –year programs. Also through experience, NTU has learned that American Indian students, most of whom are nontraditional, have greater incentive to complete their degree program when the final goal seems reachable. A two-year program is perceived as attainable versus a four-year program which for many seems long and formidable. However, once a two-year degree is attained; many students will continue to attain a four-year degree.

NTU is partnering with companies that utilize advanced manufacturing technology and software. NTU collaborates with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Kansas City Nuclear Security Complex, Morf 3, Boeing, and NASA to name a few. The Navajo Nation is working with Morf3D and Boeing to create a 3D additive manufacturing factory on the Navajo Nation that will provide over 500 high tech high wage jobs in the next 2 years that will focus on technical work of mass producing or manufacturing metal 3D printed parts for clients such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and a host of others. These contracts will require a high technical proficiency in the operation of 3D metal printing machines from EOS that includes setting the parameters for builds, cleaning and prepping the machine; post processing operations that include grinding, polishing and machining; inspection that include skills in all operations of metrology and inspection including laser and white light scanning, CT scanning, CMM operation and programming as well as more traditional techniques; additional education in 3D modeling, simulation and digital product definition will also be needed for these jobs.

NTU cannot wait for the industry to flourish before the workforce is prepared. NTU enrollment must keep up with the demands of the growth: 500 technical jobs by 2020 and expected 10% growth into the future would be on the low side of expectations. This is the first additive manufacturing facility of its kind in the world and Navajo Technical University is at the forefront of the industry.

Under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), NTU has developed a curriculum for a two-year Engineering Technology program to be offered by Navajo Technical University. This program would incorporate courses already being offered through various technical programs, but would offer significant advantages to NTU and our students. This would be offered as a 2 + 3 format for students wishing to continue beyond this Associate of Applied Science degree.

This would be a vehicle for students who begin with deficits in math or English to be able to catch up without running out of funding as they near graduation.

This would help students who are unsure what course of study they would like to pursue. By giving them courses from several of the programs, they will have a chance to evaluate which they choose to follow.

This would also be a course of study that would allow students to pursue a career with no further education should they choose.